The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has today announced the open call for the seventh edition of its biennial Ithra Art Prize. Established in 2017, the Prize presents a $100,000 award to one winning artist and seeks to support contemporary art across the Arab world.
Winning artwork of the Ithra Art Prize's 4th edition, E Pluribus Unum by Nadia Kaabi-Linke, 2022. Courtesy of Ithra
This year’s Prize marks a significant expansion of the programme. In addition to the grand prize, five finalists will each receive production grants to develop works for a group exhibition at Ithra, scheduled to take place in spring 2026. The winning artwork will then join Ithra’s permanent art collection, underlining the centre’s commitment to preserving and promoting regional creativity.
Submissions are open from the 24th of July until the 16 of October 2025. Both new commissions and recontextualised existing works are eligible for consideration. The Prize is open to individual artists and collectives aged 18 or over, of Arab heritage or currently residing in one of the 22 Arab countries. Submitted works must demonstrate intellectual rigour, contextual awareness and evidence of sustained research and practice.
Winning artwork of the Ithra Art Prize’s 1st edition, Mem by Ayman Zedani, 2018. Courtesy of Ithra
Farah Abushullaih, Head of Ithra’s Museum, said that the Prize “supports artists who engage creatively and critically with conditions and ideas that speak to the diverse contexts of our region. The 7th Edition of the Ithra Art Prize marks a homecoming that expands the Prize’s scope through an exhibition at Ithra featuring multiple works in dialogue with one another.”
Previous editions of the Ithra Art Prize have highlighted a range of practices at leading regional and international platforms. The inaugural award in 2018 went to Ayman Zedani for his film Mem, unveiled at Art Dubai. In 2019 Daniah Al Saleh received the second edition prize for Sawtam, an audiovisual installation exploring Arabic phonemes, which later travelled to the State Hermitage Museum in Russia. The 2020 Prize was awarded to Fahad bin Naif for Rakhm, an installation examining themes of environmental preservation and urban ecosystems.
Winning artwork of the Ithra Art Prize’s 6th edition, Palms in Eternal Embrace by Obaid Alsafi, 2024. Courtesy of Ithra
In 2021 Nadia Kaabi-Linke won with E Pluribus Unum, presented at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale. The fifth edition in 2023 went to Iraqi-Finnish artist Adel Abidin for his large-scale installation ON. Most recently, Obaid Alsafi received the sixth edition prize in 2024 for Palms in Eternal Embrace, which debuted at the AlUla Arts Festival.
Over its seven editions, the Prize has grown from a national Saudi initiative to a leading regional platform. By providing substantial awards, production support and partnerships with institutions such as Art Dubai, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and the AlUla Arts Festival, Ithra aims to nurture a thriving cultural ecosystem across the Arab world and beyond.
